USB Flash drives sold today, even the larger ones, are normally formatted with the FAT32 file system. This is very advantageous since FAT32 is supported on almost every operating system which means that 99% of people will be able to use it without making any changes.
For users of computers that run Windows XP or Vista though, the preferred file system is often NTFS. The advantages over FAT32 include the ability to:
- Create files larger than 4 GB in size
- Encrypt documents for better security
- Compress files to make more storage space available
- Deny or limit permissions to individual files or folders
Despite these advantages, before changing the file system on a USB drive care should be taken to backup any critical data on it just in case the process does not work. The manufacturers documentation should also be read carefully for guidelines on changing the file system. This article will discuss two ways that the file system can be upgraded to NTFS on Windows computers.
Convert the USB File System to NTFS
The simplest way to change the file system on a USB drive, especially if it already has files on it, is to convert it. This method does not delete the existing files. If the files being converted are large or many, the process might take a few minutes. Things will go alot faster if the drive is empty because you moved them temporarily to a different location. To convert the drive, perform the following steps:
- Connect the USB drive to the computer and make a note of the drive letter assigned to it
- Open a command prompt by clicking on: Start > All Programs > Accessories
- At the command prompt type: CONVERT U: /FS:NTFS (Change U: to the USB drive letter)
If any error messages are generated during step 3 above, this can often be taken care of by running the command: CHKDSK U: /F and then trying the convert command again. The conversion process can be verified by going to "My Computer" and checking the file system name in the properties of the drive. Trying to copy a file larger than 4 gigabytes or changing permissions on a file would also confirm that the process worked.
Format the USB File System as NTFS
Formatting the USB drive is definitely faster than converting it, but all files on the drive will be lost. This method is best used when the USB drive has just been purchased. Some drives have resources and tools on them at the time of purchase however, and its a good idea to protect these. The manufacturer's documentation or online resources should be consulted for help in coming to a decision.
The file system can be formatted by following these steps:
- Connect the USB drive to the computer and make a note of the drive letter assigned to it
- Open a command prompt by clicking on: Start > All Programs > Accessories
- At the command prompt type: FORMAT U: /FS:NTFS (Change U: to the USB drive letter)
If there is an error message about lack of support for NTFS on the USB drive, this can be changed by going to the properties of the drive in "Device Manager". Under the "Disk drives" section, change the properties of the USB drive "Policies" page to "Optimize for performance".
Making the decision to change the file system on a USB drive should be done with care. Before proceeding, weigh the advantages over using FAT32, backup critical data in case the process does not work and consider compatibility issues with non-Windows operating systems.
Neil Tucker - Neil has 17 years of experience as a technician, trainer & technical writer. He is an SME on SQL Server, Windows, PowerShell & PC ...
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